Tips and advice on how to maintain and grow a beautiful yard

6/13/2019

How and when to water your Plants efficiently

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Watering tips for your best garden this year

Proper watering can mean the difference between perfect looking plants and wilted or dying plants. It's a judgment call that depends on the type of plant, the soil, the weather, the time of year and many other variables. You just need to check the soil. Different watering methods use more or less water and deliver water to different places on or around the plant. Always look up the water requirements for specific plants. Plants that are native to desert areas generally require much less water than plants native to wet climates. Because many gardens have plants with different water requirements, you sometimes have to use more than one method of watering. The first year it is vital to establish a strong root system.

The Best Way to Water
Most plants depend on even moisture. However, slight drying out before watering promotes root growth of the plants.

Watering is of no value if the water runs down the outside of the root ball, leaving the roots at the core of the plant dry. This can happen if you water too quickly or apply too much water at once. Slower watering is usually more effective. The key is to ensure that water gets to the root zone — whether you are tending seedlings, watering houseplants, watering a row of tomatoes or soaking thirsty shrubs and trees.

Eight Tips For Watering Your Garden

Focus on the root zone. Remember that it's the roots that need access to water, not the leaves. Wetting the foliage is a waste of water and can promote the spread of disease. Requirement-suited watering means that the water must sufficiently reach the roots. Too-low water quantities often only cover the upper soil centimetres – or don’t even reach them at all, e.g. when there is a mulch covering of the soil and too little irrigation. Requirement-suited watering also means that crop plants are particularly dependent upon evenly moist soil in the time until their crops are ripe for harvesting (examples: the forming of roots and corms [carrots, potatoes], leaves [basil, field salad], heads [cauliflower, lettuce], husks [beans] or fruit [tomatoes, fruit]). Always watering at only one root point leads to one-sided root growth and thereby to poorer nutrient absorption in the soil. Therefore, always water around the plant and distribute in the entire irrigation area.
Water only when needed. Automatic watering timers are especially useful; just make sure to watch the weather, and reduce frequency when rainfall is abundant. Too much moisture can be just as damaging to plants as too little. In the flower bed, one to two watering sessions per week are usually sufficient: better to water more seldom but with plenty of water rather than a little water often.
Water deeply and thoroughly. Lawns and annuals concentrate their roots in the top 6" of soil; for perennials, shrubs and trees, it's the top 12". In heavy soil, it may take hours for water to percolate down 6-12". Use your finger or a shovel to check the progress.
Waterlogging suppresses the breathing air of the roots out of the soil – the root cells drown without oxygen.
Plant soil rich in clay minerals has better expanding properties and can therefore hold soil in the water better and in a more even way. In wet summers and in winter, ensure water drainage to prevent waterlogging.
Water in the morning. If you do get moisture on the leaves, this gives them time to dry out. It's much more difficult for plant diseases to get a foothold when the foliage is dry. When you water cooled soil in the evening or night then less water evaporates than as on hot soil during the day. And the plants can sufficiently supply themselves with water before the next day’s heat. Wet leaves become diseased leaves. Kept wet overnight, leaf-mold diseases may result. Leaves that are made wet in the sun develop slight burn marks (burning glass effect of the water droplets).
Mulch everything. Mulch reduces surface runoff and slows evaporation from the soil.
Use the right tool. For efficient watering at the root zone, use a soaker hose or an even more precise drip irrigation system instead of a sprinkler.

Drip irrigation, also called trickle irrigation, delivers water directly to the soil. This method has advantages over watering methods that spray water over the entire plant. The best drip irrigation systems have plastic pipes beneath the soil that carry water directly to plant roots without visible sprinklers or hoses. Less expensive systems use perforated hoses that lay on top of the ground and slowly drip water onto the soil. Drip irrigation uses less water than other types of irrigation, because the water soaks into the soil before much of it has a chance to evaporate. It also reduces the chances of fungal diseases on plant foliage because the irrigation does not wet the entire plant. Drip irrigation is especially beneficial for hilly landscapes, because its low-flow pressure will not cause runoff and erosion.
Sprinkler IrrigationSprinkler irrigation is convenient, because it can cover large areas without requiring you to do any work. Sprinkler systems range from multiple sprinklers with automatic timers to a single sprinkler attached to a hose in the garden. Sprinklers do have some drawbacks, including a high rate of evaporation loss. Watering when wind is minimal reduces evaporation loss. Sprinklers spray water over plant foliage, and the moisture can contribute to fungal diseases and mildew problems.
Watering by HandIndoor gardeners usually water by hand, as do many people with small yards. Hand watering plants makes it easy to use exactly the right amount of water and to avoid dumping water all over the plant foliage. Watering by hand also allows you to apply specific amounts of water-soluble fertilizer. If you water potted plants by hand, check the soil regularly to see how wet or dry it is. Plants in small pots dry out more quickly than plants in large pots or in the ground. The primary drawbacks to hand watering are that it can be time-consuming and watering cans are heavy to lift.
Watering Shrubs and Trees, especially newly planted shrubs and trees, require irrigation. Older ones generally have deep enough roots so that they only need irrigation during periods of drought. Because shrubs and trees are usually the largest plants in the yard, they often need more irrigation than a lawn or other small plants. When using an automatic drip irrigation or sprinkler system, it's a good idea use enough water to meet the smallest plants' water requirements. You can always give larger shrubs and trees extra water by hand, as needed.

Continuing Care

Water alone will only sustain a plant for a limited time. Plants need nutrients to remain healthy, resist disease and insects, and to thrive and grow. After your initial feeding of transplant fertilizer, feed with a slow release fertilizer twice a year; usually in the spring and late summer. Eliminate weeds that compete for water, nutrients and light, and attract insects and disease. Replenish mulch as it decomposes.

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How and when to water your Plants efficiently

Beauty all year long in your yard and garden

sarah Kuppinger

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